Flight and Communication
The accident airplane was on a dark night cross-country flight. As it neared the destination airport, the pilot radioed the airport's UNICOM and requested an airport advisory. The pilot was advised that the active runway was 15, with left-hand traffic.
Approximately 3 to 5 minutes later, the pilot radioed, "we've lost power requesting emergency landing." A helicopter pilot, inbound for landing at the same airport, reported hearing the accident airplane pilot call the UNICOM and state that he had "lost all the power."
Accident Sequence
The airplane impacted trees and came to rest in a densely wooded area approximately 1,400 feet southwest of the approach end of runway 33. The airplane was destroyed by impact damage and fire.
Post-Accident Examination
No structural or mechanical anomalies were observed during the post-accident examination of the airplane. Disassembly of the engine did not reveal any anomalies that would have resulted in a loss of power.